When it comes to villains in anime, it's not uncommon to see them turn over a new leaf and become some of the hero's staunchest allies. Whether it's due to the power of friendship or the discovery of a common enemy, these former foes end up fighting the good fight, and that's what really matters. These characters aren't always totally reformed; sometimes, they're still a bit more "evil" in their methods than the heroes are, and that can lead to some conflict between them. No matter how one looks at it, though, it's always interesting to see a villain fighting side-by-side with the hero.
Villains can turn at any time, from fairly early on in a series to the final episodes, so there may be some spoilers ahead. The characters listed below all started out at least mildly antagonistic to their series' main hero but eventually came to realize that they had more to gain from working together. Former villains and heroes joining forces is all about burying the hatchet, after all, as they set their past aside to do what's needed.
10 Sora - .hack//Sign
In the classic series .hack//Sign, Sora is (in the world of the online game) a player killer who is constantly annoying and harassing the real heroes, who are trying to unfold a major mystery. In reality, Sora is just an obnoxious child, as one might expect in an online game, and his high level encourages him to spend his time toying with those weaker than him. Sora attempts to play both sides, cozying up to the villainous AI, only to betray it and help the heroes at the last moment "for fun." Those who know the sequel series' lore will realize that Sora's player actually goes on to be quite the hero, but it's his self-sacrificial moment at the end of Sign that cements him as a good guy.
9 Satsuki Kiryuin - Kill La Kill
Kill La Kill actually pulls off a rare variation of the villain-turned-hero, as the series does a complete u-turn as to who is the hero and who is the protagonist. Satsuki Kiryuin was introduced as working for her villainous mother Ragyo, but it eventually turns out that Satsuki was only going along with all of this until she had the opportune moment to strike back. Poor Ryuko, on the other hand, gets mind controlled by Ragyo, and is turned into a puppet to fight against Satsuki and her followers. It's only thanks to Satsuki's drive that Ryuko is freed of the mind control, and together the two are able to defeat the invasion and save the day.
8 Lady Nagant - My Hero Academia
Lady Nagant is introduced as a My Hero Academia villain who's freed by All for One and is given a special mission to exterminate Deku. Lady Nagant initially agrees, but over the course of their battle, her past as a Pro Hero is revealed, and Deku learns what drove her to become a criminal. Deku immediately sympathizes with Lady Nagant's plight and attempts to convince her to join him. He actually starts to win her over, but not before she's gravely injured by All for One's sabotage. Lady Nagant gives Deku and Hawks some valuable intel, and fans who've read the manga know her role in the story isn't quite over yet.
7 Gaara - Naruto
Gaara is introduced as a counterpart to Naruto as a fellow jinchuriki. Gaara is bound to the One-Tailed Shukaku, and was treated poorly as a result, similar to Naruto. The bullying and isolation Gaara had to deal with turned him into a villain, but it was only after being defeated by Naruto that Gaara was able to see there was another way to live. Gaara goes on to become the Fifth Kazekage, protecting those who once tormented him, both as a way to show how he's changed and to become more like Naruto. Gaara's turn to being a hero is surprisingly very successful, and he's almost a completely different character by the end.
6 Hiei - Yu Yu Hakusho
Hiei is introduced in Yu Yu Hakusho as a ruthless demon, willing to kill anyone who gets in his way. While he's eventually defeated by Yusuke, Hiei actually takes a little longer than that to come around. In fact, despite being recruited by Koenma for a mission and being forced to work with Yusuke and his friends, Hiei was still prepared to leave them to die in the Maze Castle, but had a last-minute change of heart and saved them. Hiei and Yusuke remain rivals, but it develops into a friendlier sort of rivalry as they learn to respect one another's power, and before long the two are battle bros for life.
5 Sesshomaru - Inuyasha
Sesshomaru is Inuyasha's older half-brother, and a full demon compared to Inuyasha, who is only half. Sesshomaru begins the series cold and callous, attacking Inuyasha to try to steal his birthright from him. Sesshomaru is displeased with the weapon granted to him by their father, the Tenseiga, as its only use is to bring the dead back to life, not to kill enemies. However, when Sesshomaru uses the blade to revive a young girl named Rin, he begins to soften. Eventually, Sesshomaru comes into conflict with Naraku as well, despite an early alliance, and it becomes apparent that his shared enemy with Inuyasha is dangerous enough to justify teaming up with his younger brother.
4 Byakuya Kuchiki - Bleach
Byakuya was never really a "bad" guy, but he was one of Ichigo's most dangerous opponents in the first major arc of Bleach. Byakuya is driven by rules and tradition, and was unwilling to buck the system even to save his sister, Rukia. That put him in direct conflict with Ichigo, who was determined to save her, and Byakuya was radically more powerful than Ichigo could hope to be. After it was revealed that Rukia was innocent and that the whole situation had been set up by the true villain, Ichigo became allied with the Soul Society, and by extension Byakuya. While the two aren't great friends, they do respect one another now, and they're fighting on the same side.
3 Speedwagon - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure
Speedwagon was little more than a street thug in turn-of-the-century Britain, until he met Jonathan Joestar. Inspired by Jonathan's righteousness, Speedwagon swore an oath to him then and there to stand by the Joestar family for as long as they might need him. Despite Jonathan's unfortunate early demise, Speedwagon held firm to his promise, creating the Speedwagon Foundation, which would go on to support Joseph, Jotaro, and Jolyne in their own struggles with Dio and his followers. Speedwagon may have been a criminal, but it seems like he was never really a bad person, and his phenomenal loyalty became one of the Joestars' greatest assets.
In both versions of the anime and in the manga, Scar is one villain who managed an incredible about-face over the course of the series. Scar starts out as an unrepentant murderer only interested in revenge, but it's shown early on that he has surprising compassion. Scar's journey differs between the two versions of the story, but in Brotherhood, he slowly discovers the truth of the massacre at Ishval and redirects his desire for revenge from the State Alchemists to the true culprit. Scar ends up fighting alongside those he previously swore as his enemies, and becomes a valuable ally in the story's climactic moments.
1 Vegeta - Dragon Ball Z
It's impossible to have a list of the best anime villains who became heroes without talking about Vegeta. When he's introduced, Vegeta is almost irredeemably evil, but it turns out that Vegeta is working for an even greater evil, Frieza. Later, Dragon Ball revealed that Vegeta has a bone to pick with Frieza, who was responsible for wiping out nearly the entire Saiyan race. Vegeta begins to rebel against Frieza and move against him, forcing him into a position to ally with Gohan and eventually Goku. Vegeta takes a while to really become a good guy, making his journey one of the most enjoyable redemption arcs in all anime.
Villains becoming heroes is a popular trope in anime, but that's because everyone loves a good redemption story. After all, if these villains, who have killed or done other horrible things, can come back around and become a hero, then anyone can. Being a villain is a matter of selfishness, usually, while being a hero is all about being selfless and protecting others, and that growth is a very compelling element to add to a story. At its best, anime thrives with these kinds of stories, creating believable villains with plausible turns towards goodness.
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